David M. Klaus, Ph.D. biographical sketch

 

Research Interests:  Human Spaceflight (spacecraft habitats, spacesuits & life support technologies) and Spaceflight Microbial Systems

 

David Klaus obtained a BS in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University in 1984 and promptly embarked upon a career in the space program, initially working as a Shuttle Launch Controller at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and supporting planned flights from Vandenberg AFB in CA, then later moving to Mission Operations at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. His professional background spans shuttle life support systems, thermal numerical modeling, and space suit test, analysis and operations.

 

In 1990, Klaus joined BioServe Space Technologies as a Research Assistant and began graduate studies at the University of Colorado, where he obtained his MS and PhD in Aerospace Engineering Sciences. Dr. Klaus spent 1994-95 in Germany as a postdoctoral Fulbright Scholar matriculated at the University of Bonn while conducting clinostat research at the DLR Institute for Flight Medicine in Cologne. Klaus was a NASA Astronaut Candidate finalist in 1998 and 2000. He acquired additional international training in space biology and medicine in Russia during the summer of 2002. His research and teaching recognition includes the Young Investigator Award from the American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology (ASGSB) in 2003, the Educator of the Year Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Rocky Mountain Section in 2004, the Boulder Faculty Assembly’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 2007, the CU Provost Faculty Achievement Award in 2007, and in 2011, Professor Klaus was named a CU President’s Teaching Scholar and recipient of the College’s Charles Hutchinson Memorial Teaching Award.

 

Dr. Klaus is now an Associate Professor in the CU Aerospace Department and Associate Director of BioServe, where he has been involved with biotechnology payloads flown on over 40 missions aboard the Shuttle, Progress, Soyuz, Mir, and the International Space Station since 1991.  He also serves as the CU lead PI on the FAA’s Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation.  He is active in a number of research topics in the field of Bioastronautics on which he has authored or co-authored over 100 scientific articles and technical reports and given more than 50 invited presentations. Prof. Klaus teaches graduate and undergraduate engineering courses with an emphasis on human space flight.

 

Career in pictures…

 

OV099(small)

JSC FCC 1987

MkIII(small)

Klaus_Dave (FPA prep) (small)

DLR (small)

Klaus_Dave (1999) ASCAN VO2 - Copy

Klaus_Dave (small file)

Dry Immersion (small)

142-4273_IMG - Copy

In the Challenger orbiter at Edwards AFB, CA (1985)

 

Mission Control Center at NASA JSC (1987)

Advanced space suit prototype at NASA JSC (1988)

Preparing a BioServe payload for launch at NASA KSC (1993)

Fulbright Scholar, Guest Scientist at the DLR in Cologne, Germany (1994-95)

NASA Astronaut Candidate Finalist (1998 & 2000), VO2 max treadmill stress test

Assistant Professor, CU Aerospace Engineering Sciences (2002)

Microgravity simulation technique called Dry Immersion at the IBMP in Moscow (2002)

Weight relief treadmill simulating lunar and Mars gravity (2005)

 

Faculty Profile on CU website

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